British scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed flexible floating devices (leaves) that could help synthesize gas from water, CO2 and sunlight.
The authors of the study said that their development will make it possible to obtain fuel directly on the water, and will also reduce the dependence of the shipping industry on energy sources.
The scientists have created an artificial leaf that produces synthetic gas from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water, according to the scientific journal Nature.
When creating a scientific work, experts were inspired by photosynthesis, using thick glass substrates and moisture-proof coatings in the first prototype.
“We wanted to see how much we could reduce the amount of materials used in these devices without affecting their performance,” study leader Erwin Reisner said.
In the end, to achieve the desired effect, the researchers used thin-film metal oxides and perovskites to apply flexible plastics and metal foils. This resulted in an ultra-thin flexible leaf that functioned like real natural leaves.